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Nog ‘n vermorsing van die belastingbetaler se geld! – Miljoene in drein af want Tshwane-huise sal gesloop en herbou moet word a.g.v. swak vakmanskap en vandalisme

Nog 'n vermorsing van die belastingbetaler se geld! - Miljoene in drein af want Tshwane-huise sal gesloop en herbou moet word a.g.v. swak vakmanskap en vandalisme

Die munisipaliteit van Pretoria is in die moeilikheid, maar ontken dat baie huise gesloop en herbou moet word.

‘n Multimiljoenrand verlate behuisingsprojek in Ga-Rankuwa-eenheid 10 in die stad Tshwane, sal gesloop en herbou moet word teen ekstra kostes ná kontraktuele geskille met die kontrakteur wat die projek in Junie vanjaar laat vaar het.

Volgens ingeligte bronne word die multi-miljoen Randse behuisingsprojek in die Ga-Rankuwa-omgewing egter reeds gesloop om weer op te bou.

Volgens die LUR vir menslike nedersettings in Gauteng, Lebogang Maile, wat geantwoord het op skriftelike vrae wat in die Gautengse wetgewer voorgelê is, is ‘n bedrag van R34,170,591,36 tot dusvêr bestee aan die bou van hierdie huise.

“Dit is ‘n vermorsing van belastingbetalersgeld en ons kan nie meer sulke misbruik verdra nie,” het Kate Lorimer, die Demokratiese Alliansie (DA), Gautengse LUR vir menslike nedersettings en COGTA, gesê.

Sy het gesê dat die behuisingsprojek in Mei 2011 geïnisieer is en veronderstel was om op 30 Junie 2014 voltooi te wees en die aanvanklike begroting was R190,988,838.

Maile het gesê dat hierdie onvolledige huise deur die Nasionale Raad vir Huiseienaars (NHBRC) en ‘n raadgewende ingenieur beoordeel is, wat aanbeveel het dat die strukture op die terrein gesloop en herbou moet word.

Ingeligte bronne sê die halfvoltooide huise is so swak gebou dat dit gesloop moet word. Hierdie huise is gevandaliseer, die mure gedeeltelik gesloop en die bakstene is gesteel, sowel as die vensterrame en deurrame.

“Dit dui op swak beplanning, swak projekbestuur en die misbruik van fondse van die departement, aangesien hierdie huise langer as agt jaar onvolledig gelaat is en kwesbaar was vir vandalisme,” sê Lorimer.

Daar word verwag dat die projek voor die einde van die huidige finansiële jaar, 2019/20, sal hervat word, aangesien daar begroting vir die projek beskikbaar was.

“Dit is een van die vele onvoltooide behuisingsprojekte wat deur hierdie departement laat vaar is,” het sy gesê.

Maile het gesê die kontraktuele geskille lê voor die hof en die nuwe voltooiingsdatum vir die projek sal bepaal word sodra ‘n nuwe kontrakteur aangestel is.

As hierdie projek voltooi is, sal dit die behuisingsagterstand in die provinsie, wat meer as ‘n miljoen beloop het, vergemaklik.

Die LUR het egter gesê daar is geen huidige kontrakteur ter plaatse nie, aangesien die kontrakteur wat aangestel is, die projek in Junie 2019 laat vaar het.

Volgens ‘n dokument van die City of Tshwane wat The Citizen gesien het, eis die stad dat die aangestelde diensverskaffer die bedrag wat betaal is vir die werk wat nie voltooi is nie, terugbetaal.

Lindela Mashigo, woordvoerder van City of Tshwane, het egter ontken dat die huise gesloop sal word.

“Daar is geen sloop van huise in Ga-Rankuwa Eenheid 10 nie,” het Mashigo gesê, ondanks die skriftelike reaksie van die LUR Maile hieroor in die provinsiale wetgewer.

Die herbou van die huise sal teen ‘n enorme ekstra koste gedoen moet word, wat hierdie hele projek ‘n onekonomiese maak, sê kenners in die boubedryf.


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Social media posts hamper Pretoria cash heist probe

Social media posts hamper Pretoria cash heist probe

False information on social media following a daring heist on the N4 on Friday was hampering investigations, police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said on Monday.

He said some dishonest social media users were spreading misinformation that three suspects were later caught, shot and killed by the police.

He warned that some people were misleading the public by posting photographs on social media.

“Concerned citizens who sought justice need not be entertained by such reports, but work with the police to help catch the culprits.”

Masondo was speaking on the incident which happened last week in which nine men armed with rifles shot at a G4 Security vehicle, forcing it to stop, on the N4 between Ga-Rankuwa and the R80.

The suspects then overwhelmed three security officers out of the vehicle before using explosives to destroy the truck.

Masondo said the security officers were not harmed in the process and the private companies involved in the cash-in-transit heist were responsible for the provision of counselling for their staff.

An undisclosed amount of money was taken from the vehicle, and the police were determined to continue investigations until the suspects were arrested.

“The information being spread is misleading, considering that the suspects are still on the run; the police did not shoot and kill any people in relation to the heist.

“We need the public to help us catch the culprits by calling our offices to provide information and tips,” Masondo said.

While the police may not speak of ongoing investigations, it is believed that one of their leads was that the suspects were spotted fleeing in two Audi A4 vehicles.

Cash-in-transit heists remained one of the criminal activities targeted by former Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula.

Attackers are usually heavily armed and often travel in hijacked vehicles, which they later dump.

Anyone able to assist the police with their manhunt for the suspects should call 0860 10111.

The Star


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Pretoria communities gather to protest against higher rates

Pretoria communities gather to protest against higher rates

Pretoria – About 10 buses packed with protesters from Mabopane, Winterveld, Klipgat and Ga-Rankuwa have descended on the Old Putco Depot in Marabastad on Monday morning.

The 500 plus protesters are gearing up to march to Tshwane House to hand over a memorandum to executive mayor Solly Msimanga. They are singing and chanting while waiting for more protesters to join the march.

Tshwane Metro Police and the SAPS are keeping a close eye on the protesters. Spokesperson for the Baagi Concerned Forum David Ratladi Baagi said that the communities of Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane, Winterveld and Klipgat pay a reduced rate for services to Tshwane and the Soshanguve community pays a higher rate.

But now the City of Tshwane intends raising the communities rates to equal that of Shoshanguve. ” We as the community of Mabopane, Winterveld and Klipgat were not consulted,” he said.

Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said affected streets will include Eskia Mphahlele, Struben, Thabo Sehume and Madiba streets.

By: Pretoria News